Attaching apparatus for chandelier arms

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for affixing the chandalier arms of a lighting fixture to the body thereof, to hold the arms in place while permitting electrical wires to pass from the body through slots in the arm and then along the inside of the arms. The attaching apparatus includes a U-shaped connector with a rounded base that can encompass a side of a chandalier arm and a pair of legs which originally diverge and which have protrusions which enter a slot in the arm when the legs are squeezed together, to thereby firmly fix the connector to the chandalier arm. The ends of the connector legs have grooves for engaging the body of the fixture.

United States Patent [151 3,683,171

Sclafani 1 Aug. 8, 1972 [54] ATTACHING APPARATUS FOR FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS CHANDELIER ARMS [72] Inventor: Ben J. Sclafani, Arcadia, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Scovill Manufacturing Company [22] Filed: June 29, 1970 21 AppltNo; 50,737

[52] US. Cl. ..240/78 F, 248/74, 248/224 [51] Int. Cl. ..F2ls 1/06 [58] Field of Search ..240/78 F; 248/223, 224, 74; 24/73 SA [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,965,882 7/1934 Cook ..248/74 2,225,592 12/1940 MacFadden ..248/223 X 3,042,352 7/1962 Stamper ..248/73 X 3,294,347 12/1966 Mongesku et al ..248/223 X 244,12l 3/1963 Australia ..240/78 F Primary Examiner-Jerry W. Myracle Attorney-Lindenberg, Freilich & Wasserman Apparatus for affixing the chandalier arms of a lighting fixture to the body thereof, to hold the arms in place while permitting electrical wires to pass from the body through slots in the arm and then along the inside of the arms. The attaching apparatus includes a U-shaped connector with a rounded base that can encompass a side of a chandalier arm and a pair of legs which originally diverge and which have protrusions which enter a slot in the arm when the legs are squeezed together, to thereby firmly fix the connector to the chandalier arm. The ends of the connector legs have grooves for engaging the body of the fixture.

ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAus a 1972 gal QTTO'QAJEVS BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to lighting fixtures.

2. Description of the Prior Art One type of chandalier includes several tubular arms with lamp sockets at one end, the am being held on a common body. Electrical wires extend from the body to each of the arms, the wires passing through a hole in the arm where it attaches to the body and running along the inside of the tubular arm to the lamp socket. One type of connector which has been used to mount each arm on the body has one end fixed to the arm and another end with grooves for receipt in a slot in the body. The connector has a hole for passing electrical wires through the slot in the body and the hole in the arm so that the wires cannot be seen from the outside of the chandalier. The attachment of the connector to the chandalier arm has been accomplished by welding, soldering and the like. This type of operation, which must be performed for each chandalier arm, constitutes an appreciable part of the cost of the chandalier.

' 1 OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a connector for a lighting fixture, that can be installed at low cost.

Another object is to provide an economical method for joining a tubular chandalier arm to a chandalier body, in a manner that permits the concealment of an electrical wire passing between them.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a connector is provided for joining a tubular arm of a chandalier lighting fixture to a body that supports it, while concealing the passage of electrical wires from the body to the arm, the connector being constructed so that it can be installed without welding, cementing or like operations. The connector comprises a substantially U-shaped member with a rounded base and with legs that are originally diverging. It is installed on a chandalier arm in which a slot has been cut at one side for receiving a wire from the chandalier body. The connector is installed with its rounded base on a side of the chandalier arm opposite the slot. The legs of the connector are then squeezed together so that protuberances on the inner surface of each connector leg enters the slot. The connector is then firmly fixed to the chandalier arm in amanner that provides an opening between the arms so that an electrical wire can pass between the legs and into the arm. The ends of the connector legs also have grooves on their outer surfaces which can receive the walls of a slot in the chandalier body for enabling rapid installation of the connector on the' body. Wires can then pass from the chandalier body, through the slot in it, between the legs of the connector, and through the slot in the chandalier am to pass along the inside of the arm to the lamp socket.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a chandalier which utilizes connectors of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the chandalier of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded partial perspective view show- 2 ing the manner of installation of a connector on a chandalier arm; and

FIG. 5 is a top sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 4 during installation of a connector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS trical wires connect to another wire that runs along a stem 22 of the body to an electrical outlet.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate two of the connectors 24, 26 that connect chandalier arms 12,, T7 to the body 10. The connectors and arms are identical, and a description of one of them applies to the others. Connector 24 is of constant cross-section along its length (height), and has a substantially U-shaped cross-section with a base 28 and a pair of legs 30, 32 extending from either side of the base. The base 28 is rounded to fit closely about the tubular chandalier arm 12, while the legs 30 extend substantially parallel to each other when installed on the arm. The arm 12 has a slot 34 of a length approximately equal to the length L of the connector. The legs 30, 32 of the connector have protuberances 36, 38 on their inside surfaces, which are received in the slot 34. The protuberances 36, 38 are positioned so that the connector 24 tightly engages the arm to hold it securely. The fact that the connector is of approximately the same length L as the slot prevents relative endwise movement of the connector with respect to the arm. Each protuberance has an end 39 closest to the base 28, which extends at about a right angle to the inner surface of the leg, to firmly abut the wall of the arm slot 34.

Each leg 30, 32 of the connector has a groove 40, 42 in its outwardly facing surface, for engaging the chandalier body 10. The chandalier body 10 includes a cylindrical part 44 with vertically extending slots 46 that can receive the connectors. The cylindrical part has six of these slots for receiving connectors of the six chandalier arms. The width of each slot 46 is approximately equal to the distance between the depths of the grooves 40, 42 of the connector. Thus, the connector can be installed in the body by sliding down the connector while its grooves 40, 42 are engaged with the walls of the body slot 46. The body then securely supports the connector and therefore supports the chandalier arm which is fixed to the connector. Each groove 40, 42 has a depth which allows the outer surfaces of the connector legs to extend parallel to each other.

Each chandalier arm carries a pair of electrical wires 48 that are connected at 50 to a main pair of wires 52 that pass along the chandalier stem to an electrical outlet. Each pair of wires 48 can pass from the inside of the body through the body slot 46, and between the legs 30, 32 of the connector to the inside of the chandalier arm. As mentioned above, the wires pass along the arm to the lamp socket at the end thereof. After all of the arms have been mounted on the cylindrical part 44 of the housing, an upper cap 54 can be lowered over the cylindrical part and a lower cap 56 can be installed over the bottom of the cylindrical part and held thereon by a nut 58.

The manufacture and installation of the connectors 24 can be accomplished rapidly and economically. Each connector is originally constructed with the shape shown at 24' in FIGS. 4 and 5. Inasmuch as the connector is of constant cross-section throughout its length, it can be constructed by extruding a long length of material and cutting it into small sections to form the connectors. Prior to installing the connector 24 on a chandalier arm 12, the slot 34 is formed in the arm. The connector is then placed about the arm as shown in FIG. 5, with the base encompassing a side of the arm opposite the slot 34. The arms 30, 32 are then squeezed together until the protuberances 36, 38 enter the slot 34 so that the connector is held securely on the arm. The connector and arm assembly is then ready for installation on the fixture body.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and, consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting fixture comprising:

a plurality of tubular arms, each having a slot therein;

a lamp socket mounted on each of said arms;

a plurality of connectors each having a base and pair of legs, said base encompassing a portion of said tube opposite said slot, and each of said legs having protrusions on its inner surface protruding into said slot;

a fixture body coupled to said legs of said connectors; and

a plurality of electrical wires, each extending between the legs of a connector, through an arm slot, and along the inside of the arm to the socket thereon.

2. The lamp described in claim 1 wherein:

each of said connectors has a length substantially equal to the length of the slot in the arm it engages, so that the ends of each connector substantially abuts the ends of each slot.

3. A lighting fixture comprising:

a tubular arm having a hole therein;

lamp socket means coupled to said arm;

a connector having a base portion encompassing a portion of said tube opposite said hole and having a pair of leg portions protruding into said hole;

a fixture body coupled to said leg portions of said connector; and

an electrical wire extending from said fixture body, between the legs of said connector, through said hole in said arm, and along the inside of the arm to said lamp socket means.

zsl'ifolstitafi sssaasg ma sa e-r- -mined length dimension in a direction along the length of the arm; and

said connector has a length substantially equal to the length of said rectangular hole, so that the ends of the connector substantially abut the ends of said hole. 

1. A lighting fixture comprising: a plurality of tubular arms, each having a slot therein; a lamp socket mounted on each of said arms; a plurality of connectors each having a base and pair of legs, said base encompassing a portion of said tube opposite said slot, and each of said legs having protrusions on its inner surface protruding into said slot; a fixture body coupled to said legs of said connectors; and a plurality of electrical wires, each extending between the legs of a connector, through an arm slot, and along the inside of the arm to the socket thereon.
 2. The lamp described in claim 1 wherein: each of said connectors has a length substantially equal to the length of the slot in the arm it engages, so that the ends of each connector substantially abuts the ends of each slot.
 3. A lighting fixture comprising: a tubular arm having a hole therein; lamp socket means coupled to said arm; a connector having a base portion encompassing a portion of said tube opposite said hole and having a pair of leg portions protruding into said hole; a fixture body coupled to said leg portions of said connector; and an electrical wire extending from said fixture body, between the legs of said connector, through said hole in said arm, and along the inside of the arm to said lamp socket means.
 4. The lighting fixture described in claim 3 wherein: said hole in said arm is rectangular, with a predetermined length dimension in a direction along the length of the arm; and said connector has a length substantially equal to the length of said rectangular hole, so that the ends of the connector substantially abut the ends of said hole. 